Some feel that TENET doesn’t work on many levels. I suggest that many but not all of its issues can be found in its screenplay. Because the screenplay doesn’t work, it’s actually highly informative because it tells screenwriters what not to do. Though screenwriting requisites are to some degree genre specific, there are essentials that a screenwriter needs to get right whatever the film genre. If we look at what TENET does wrong, then, we can find out what to do right. The principle issue with the screenplay for TENET is its incoherence: the plot is extremely hard to understand. A comprehensible plot is vital if you are going to grab a film audience’s attention and hold it. All the other stu
'A screenplay beat is a moment of change, where reality refutes a character’s understanding, intent or overall agenda. Something changes that forces screenplay protagonists or antagonists to change, or react or do something different than planned.'
'A screenplay scene is a dynamic in which something essential is exchanged or revealed, or withheld compellingly. Characters and the narrative are thus changed, thereby in turn changing the plot.'
'Consider the TOO FURIOUS films, or a good Bond film - CASINO ROYALE (2006), and the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE films. More screen time is given to screenplay plot, character and relationship building than is given to action sequences in such films. That’s why the action sequences, by and large, work, and it’s how they can be interesting. This even applies to the ultimate kinetic thriller: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018).' ~ 'Challenge yourself to write one line screenplay dialogue. This can yield interesting and cool results. Perhaps even more importantly, clipped screenplay dialogue can create ellipsis, and leaving things out is essential to garnering audience buy-in because people must work
